Uzumaki
by onirenjaa
Summary: What happens when Naruto finds out the secret of the Demon Fox was only the tip of the iceberg? Rated T for language and some implied naughty stuff. Pairings: Read and find out.
1. Writer's Notes and Disclaimer

Uzumaki

A fiction by A.J. Mashburn

Disclaimer: I don't own this damn thing. Kishimoto Musashi-san does. I am creating this bastardization of his intellectual property for no profit, and loss of precious time I could possibly devote to something that could pay me money, or get me laid. All I can gain from this venture is the advancement of my writing career so, if you are a lawyer, back the hell off. Any characters or concepts not claimed by him, are mine, and are vigorously defended by groin-shots and beer bottles to the head, the writer is a mean drunk and not possessed of an aversion to violence.

Any similarities to any creatures living, dead, trapped in purgatory, lost in another dimension, or ascended to higher planes of existence is purely coincidental, except when I mean to.

The writer of this piece does not mean to offend with his opinions and statements. If offense is taken, the writer recommends one course of action. "Get the hell over it and shut up."

Opinions expressed within these notes are the opinions of the writer, and are therefore, correct and infallible.

These are my Writer's notes. I will on occasion put something here to explain why an update is late, answer questions, or just generally take up space to feel like I have accomplished something. It would do this writer's heart well to know that you are reading this story, and reviews would be most appreciated. If you don't, well, I'll just... keep writing... I seek any and all criticism one has to give, whether it be constructive or not. You can even flame me and tell me "You suxxorz" or however leet speaking bastards like to say it. You will be given the attention your criticism merits.

Many thanks go out to my loyal and intelligent beta, TheKate, who has endured endless ramblings over how cool this story will be once its finished...

04/26/07: Yes, yes, update, fucker, update! I know. I'm in exam hell this week and next, but since so many of you are patient with me, I'm going to promise an update before the middle of May. I'll try for two chapters, but don't be disappointed if theres only the one this time around. In reply to my last reviewer, one Bob Jones, I really didn't even know she had eyes to begin with.

01/05/07: So... Um, little late with my updates... This is a quick posting to let folks know I'm still alive, and the story is continuing. A version is on its way to TheKate for beta, and will be posted there, but I wanted to do something for people who have actually been keeping up with this thing. This chapter is a bit talky, yes, but I tried to make it funny to balance that out. It was meant to be longer, but a scorching case of writer's block has prevented progress on the story for a while, but hopefully that's over now. Expect Chapter 4 within the next couple of weeks.

Now, onto something I'd like to say that was prompted by a review. I would strongly advise against reading this story if you're only out for pairings. Those are very much ancillary to what I'm trying to accomplish with this, and are only icing for the cake. If the cake sucks, the icing won't save it. Note, I'm not ragging on said reviewer, he's got a good head on his shoulders, and knows that pairings alone do not a story make. So, that being said, please enjoy Chapter 3, and as always, reviews, flames, and non-nonsensical ramblings are welcomed.

04/08/06: Chapter 2 is now very finished, and very long in comparison. I'm a little excited to get this on the web, so beta-recommended changes may crop up.

03/15/06: Chapter 2 is almost in the can. Few more pages, then its off to beta. I'll be putting more work into it tonight once I'm home and drunk. Not that anyone has been asking, just telling you.

02/09/06: Update to Chapter one yet again... My jutsu name was crap... I'm only human...

02/07/06: Update to Chapter 1 with some minor corrections, thanks to TheKate for finding my spelling screw ups. Chapter 2 will be underway soon.


	2. Prologue

Prologue

* * *

Always the same...

She found herself here once more, as she always did, floating in an ocean darker than a shadow cast on a moonless night, submerged beneath its waters, though not struggling for breath as she let the currents of the deep water carry her slowly toward into its depths, not resisting in the least as it had its way with her. She felt as small eddies would move over her skin, created by the gentle, yet inexorable pull of sourceless gravity that drew her downward into the depths, the currents dancing about her as she in turn did her boneless dance upon them. Every strand of hair spread around her face, allowed to fly free from earthly bonds, and she smiled, dwelling in the darkness about her, letting it wash over her, allowing it to go further, pulling it inside her, allowing the ebony hell to embrace her, move through her, suffuse each cell as she curled her legs to her chest. The near complete sensory deprivation calmed her, allowing her to shut out everything. The world, the light, sound, air, tactile sensation... At this moment, reality was her enemy, and she scorned it in the darkness.

This was her refuge from the overbearing weight of reality when it became too much for her, the only place she could deny that there were others who actually existed, a place she could deny the world beyond her own skin. Here, there was nothing. No thought, no desire, no need. Here, she could simply exist, as she often dreamed of doing. The obsidian waters cocooned her in their oddly satiny touch, filling every inch between skin and where air would threaten to touch her. If this was death, she didn't care. All she knew at this moment was being. No future, no present, and most of all... No past... No pain...

She closed her eyes against the darkness, seeking the sweet release of becoming the dark themselves, an end to form itself, to be part of something that was larger and grander, yet less than what she would leave behind. She barely noticed the gradual rise in the hue of the waters around her, from the oppressive yet comforting black, to a darker, eggplant purple, and still gaining in luminosity. It was the fore front of a wave of light, moving insurgently against the pitch canvas she had lost herself in, the gentle force before the overpowering assault. She tried to deny it as she did everything else while she was here, yet as the waters began turning blue, and the glow began to slip past the thin protection of her eye lids, she found it undeniable, unstoppable as it began to brighten and warm all that was around her. What had been a relaxed pose now became tense and rigid as adrenaline slid through her body on greased tracks, and once loose, calm muscles began to tighten, and become as hard as steel. She clutched her legs to her breasts now, trying to stave off the incursion for a few more moments, trying to grab the blanket and keep it about her tighter. Knuckles turned white, pearly teeth bared as her internal struggle against the onslaught grew in ferocity. Muscles tightened, fists so tight they hurt her as she tried to avoid what she knew the light brought with it, what reinforcements it would bring to ravage and overwhelm her here at her most vulnerable.

Unfortunately for her, dragons were far easier to slay than tides of memory turned loose from their levies.

It was always the physical sensation that struck her first, the gentle, inconsistent pounding that racked her body. It grew slowly, just as the insufferable light would, beginning like the patter of small water droplets on skin, building to power force that rocked her body each time it struck her. It gained the sensation of a hammering force through her body, driving each nerve ending to life as it slowly took hold. Then, she felt movement, fevered, insistent movement from two distinct objects, desperately trying to break physical bonds and become one to spite their individuality. The pleasure always assaulted her next, and she screamed... Part elation and part dread as her solitude faded and her new reality set in. The scent on the air was one of sweat and humidity, a hot day in a small, almost oppressive space. Sounds began assaulting her ears, and filling them, sounds she had hadn't heard in a long time, sounds she never believed she would hear again. Suddenly, new scents began to fill her nostrils, bringing her back to reality all the faster as the wave had almost completely obliterated the pocket of darkness she had managed to retain around her self. It was at once familiar and strange. Jasmine, pine, the smell of tea slowly losing its heat to the air around it. Echoes of their cries... She wouldn't open her eyes, though, fearing the final dagger as these other knives broke into her and tore at her heart.

The two of them collapsed onto the bed into an exhausted lump of flesh and limbs, their bodies naked, covered only by a thin, sweat soaked sheet, and separated by nothing but the air around them. Her back was to him, his strong arm slipping from the thin linen to rest upon her shapely waist. They struggled to catch their breaths, lungs lapping greedily at the oxygen around them as the flush settled over their bodys', fatigue setting in as they finally began to relax. He used the last of his waning strength to pull her closer, closing the gap between bodies useless for little more than acting as paper weights. She kept her eyes closed tightly, "God no..." she thought to herself, pleading with herself not to succumb to temptation. "Please, don't let me see... God please..."

"Awful quiet for someone who just did what we did... I'm the one who gets to pass out here," he said breathlessly. "You're supposed to ask me what I'm feeling and get answered by a loud snore."

"Haha," she said, "very funny." A smile creeping over her lips even as the dread gathered like storm clouds in her mind. "You should be quite proud of yourself... My father always wanted to meet the man who would render me speechless."

"Ah... You're father... Perfect mood killer..." he said, the cute chuckle she always loved apparent in his voice.

"Sorry, baby," she said, genuinely apologetic. "It was just... just... wow..." She inhaled deeply, her smile becoming broader, "What the hell was that, any way?"

"A little something I thought you might like."

"Oh, god... You got it out of that book didn't you?" she asked, turning over, managing to keep her eyes tightly closed as she turned to face her lover.

"No no... Trust me, that book is the last place I look for sex tips... That's weird even for me..." He said, leaning down to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Good... Because if you had, you weren't gonna touch me for a month."

"Oooooh, cold... Cut me to the quick..."

"Those lessons on effectiveness pay off, no?" she asked wryly, his fingers gently tracing the outline of his ear and jaw line.

"You're old man was right... It would be a miracle to see you quiet for more than a minute..." he said, his own hand beginning to trace of the line of her spine through the sheet.

"Silence, you," she said in a manner, her tone gently mocking but insistent. She lowered her head at this, her smile subsiding, "When do you have to leave, again?"

"Tomorrow morning." was his only reply, knowing from the sound of her voice she did not anticipate their impending separation. "Lets not dwell on it now, though," he said, "I can think of about a hundred more pleasurable things we can do on our last night together for a month and a half..."

"Is that right," she said, the smile returning, her dread increasing within. She moved her hand, knowing what she would find before she even moved. The temperature on the bed increasing at that very moment, the heat becoming unbearable in a matter of seconds. Her hand found his arm, or more to the point, found the pair of bones that made up his arm's skeletal structure. She was already on her back, and he was on top of her, the words "Don't open your eyes" filling her mind over and over again like a mantra for dispelling spirits. The flames began to lick painfully at her skin, the smell of burning cotton filling her nostrils. Despite her welcoming smile, her eyes were clinched tight, tears welling up in them, knowing that the desire, the single chance to see his face would override what she knew was coming. She knew better than to look, but in the end, she didn't care.

Her eyes flew open, and instead of their small cottage, and the face of the man she loved, there was a burning room, and a skeletal Death's Head. The skeleton touched and caressed her like a lover, but it had already been bleached by time, no appearance of the man it used to wear. The only thing that even looked remotely alive were those eyes, those yellow and red eyes that burned not in passion for her soul and body, but pure destruction, those eyes that burned... for her death...

She sat straight up in bed as the adrenaline coursed through her body and slapped each and every nerve awake as it passed through her system, her arm flying forward and tossing her sheet aside as she reached out in vain for the man she knew was not there. Her skin was covered in a sheen of cold sweat, and goose bumps covered her as the shock passed through her body and into the air. She shivered in the cold, and one gloved hand reaching down and gather the sheet up once more, bringing it to her breasts in a weak motion to shield herself from the cold, and the fear that was now easing through her veins like a serpent coiling about her heart. She reached over to her nightstand, her bare hand, taking hold of the brandy snifter as she shakingly poured herself some into the small, clear glass, her uneasy motions causing some to spill out onto the wood grained surface of the stand. She brought the glass over, and brought it to her full lips, sipping at the alcoholic beverage to try and calm her frayed nerves.

Each drop that hit her tongue did nothing to ease her shaking, acting as useless as it usually did on nights like this where she would wake up from that hellish nightmare. It was always the same dream, hitting someone who had given up on dreaming at least ten years ago. It didn't visit her nightly, though she began to wish it did for want of an immunity to the effects it had on her mind and heart. If nothing else, the dream was the perfect terrorist, striking at one's most vulnerable, going to ground, then striking again just as the fear reaches a low point on its curve. She would love nothing less than for it to find another memory to replay for her, to show her in mind numbing horror, but instead it kept returning to the one of the happiest moments in her life, when freedom and responsibility were in equilibrium, and nothing could go wrong with the world.

She finished the beverage in a few moments, and replaced the glass on the nightstand next to her. She hugged her legs to her chest and sat shaking, feeling the gentle effects of the alcohol as it slipped over her body, slowly eating away at her tension, gently easing her off the plateau of stress. He lay back down, and pull the sheet and a heavy blanket over her, wishing she had thought to actually wear something to bed, knowing it would be this cold at night. Had her inconsistent romp through Hell not awakened her, the bite of the cold night air on her skin would have. He looked out over the large expanse of the cold empty master bedroom, and her heart sank just a bit. She closed her eyes and eased back into sleep, tomorrow would require her nice and rested, and no way would she allow fatigue to endanger the path that lay before her. She slipped her hand out to touch the other pillow on the bed, the side that absolutely nothing slept on, and gently stroked the place he should be sleeping.

"Good night."


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I love being wrong...

* * *

It was almost a scene out of a movie, he thought, standing there on the bow of the great ship, his bare leg raised and resting atop the safety railing, his pose appearing slightly heroic in the setting he found himself in now. The sun rested high above him in the azure sky, the gentle heat bearing down on him as he sipped at the cool drink in his hand, feeling the wind against his shirtless, slightly pale body. A pair of sun glasses rested upon his nose, doing their best to keep the bouncing sunlight from the boy's muddy brown eyes. His brown hair fell about his face, gently blowing in the wind as it pushed the boat along on its path across the sea. He wore only a pair of red swimming trunks, hoping to expose his skin to a little extra sun to improve his complexion to a shade his mother didn't consider sickly, and that might catch the eye or two of a girl who might wander by.

While that was a pleasant thought, the voice of his mother slipped into his reverie, her usual scolding about how thin he was crashing into his mind like a star of an action movie through a break-away window. "How do you ever expect to find a girl if you're that thin?" she would ask. "Eat something would you, honey? How am I ever going to become a grandmother if you constantly look like you're about to pass out." He winced at the thought of bringing a date home and hearing his mother admonish, "Would it kill you to have another slice? You're thinner than she is!" He loved his mother, and knew she meant well, but matricidal thoughts refused to go away when she pointed out how other boys looked "healthy."

He dashed the thoughts away, though, throwing a rock of "I'm on vacation, dammit" into the pools of his mental hell, hoping to cast thoughts of his mother and family life on the rocks for a while as he turned to survey his surroundings with a laser-like focus the men of his family were famous for. Well. Perhaps not famous, but a notch or two below "neighborhood knowledge" at least. He slid his sunglasses off the bridge of his nose, his eyes adjusting to the light quickly and taking in the growing vibrancy of the colors as the dark brown haze of the lenses was lowered. All about him was paradise, or or at least his closest version of it.

The women on this boat wore bikinis. Bikinis they could swim in. Not the thin gauzy types he noted the truly beautiful models wearing in the glamour magazines. He could live with it, though. He had never been this surrounded by beautiful women in his life, and he thanked whatever deity, powerful force, or simple stroke of dumb luck had granted it to him.

"Y'know," he said, not truly expecting an answer, "I really do love being wrong..." Shinji smiled, and puffed out his chest.

"You must be in nirvana most of the time, then," said a melodious voice from a half-meter away. Shinji turned to his right, his brow furrowing just a bit as his beloved Miho's barb found its way into his heart, wounding him spiritually, if not physically.

"Oh, come on, Miho... I'm not wrong all the time..." he said, his voice taking on a slight tone of irritation, though maintaining his usual playfulness.

"That's right," she said, cocking a smile from where she sat in a chaise lounge on the deck, "You do manage to make a correct statement when its perfectly obvious."

"Miho... How are we going keep peace in the house if you run me down like that after we're married?" he said jokingly, knowing how the simple inference of them as a couple raised her ire like water coming to a boil within a few seconds.

"Seriously, Shinji... Say it one more time, I really need blood on my hands..." she said, cocking an eyebrow, but allowing a sliver of a smile to part her red lips. Their attraction to each other was unspoken, but it was there. Their friends took bets to figure out when one would break and begin making the romantic overture. Their inevitability as a couple was oblivious to no one but them.

They had been friends since their assignment landed them on the same team, though the attraction had taken much longer to develop. One moment in Shinji's mind always stood out about the two of them. A simple walk with a group of their friends, and Miho looking down and saying to him, "Idiot... Tie your shoes..." Why he found that moment so significant, he found it hard to say, it was merely the single moment he could trace back to his attraction to her being more than physical.

The physical attraction had begun from the moment he had met her. From a early on, Miho had been an easily attractive girl, but now as she was growing up, and the trappings of womanhood beginning to make their subtle influences on her body known, Miho had begun blooming into a beautiful girl, and most people agreed she would reach knock-out status by sixteen. He found it difficult to find a retort as his brain rifled through its files, trying to find his usual wit. Instead his eyes traveled the length of Miho's body, clad in a modest one-piece white swimsuit that hid none of her growing beauty. He kept wanting to see her in a two piece, though it was frequently denied him by Miho's conservative taste in clothing. "She is brazen only in her tongue," was an observation offered by their sensei.

"Eyes on your own paper, Kido," she said, catching his lingering gaze, reaching up to tie her chin length hair into a loose pony tail.

"Should I leave you two alone?" came a voice from behind them. The voice was deeper than you would expect from a boy of fifteen years, but Ren took to base the moment his voice changed, and never looked back. Much to the dismay of his mother who commented on his angelic singing voice before puberty came in and showed him there was more to a girl than just cooties. His black hair was short and slightly spiky, close-cropped, giving him a military look. His face was defined and strong, in contrast to Shinji's, who was still in the process of losing the last bits of baby fat. He was also well-defined in body too, his muscles having good lines that threatened to only become harder as he aged and trained more.

"Funny, Ren..." was all Shinji said as he approached the two of them, his "rival's" approach making the air just a bit thicker with their playful rivalry. "You know theres nothing going on between us..."

"Yeah," Miho added, "I'd sooner have teeth pulled than date him..."

"Hey..."

"Knock it off, you two... You flirt so much I'm amazed you're both still virgins..." Ren said, finding the back of Miho's hand connecting to the back of his skull, little force held in reserve. Ren wasn't a being of tact, and had to be reminded of his limits from time to time. "Ow... Shinji?"

"Yeah, Ren?"

"Since you usually carry so much stuff, can I persuade you start carrying a helmet in your packs for me? She's going to collapse my skull one day..."

"For about five extra ryou a week. Odd, though... She never hits me..." Once more, Miho struck, this time, to Shinji's gut.

"Yes I do... Now, can we please get back to our vacation? Its our last day before we have to meet Yoshi-sensei at the port. I'd like to show up with a nice tan, and two intact teammates."

"She's... right..." Shinji said between breaths, playing up the punch a little more than necessary, something he stopped doing when he swore he could hear Miho's teeth grind.

'Anyway... We're meeting him tomorrow at Noon..." Ren said, deciding to get serious and back to the matter at hand.

"So, did he settle everything with the Soba clan to his heart's content? Or are we looking at a hotel stay until we're sure no mimes with poison-squirting flowers are going to try and kill their dignitary?" Miho said, sitting up and slipping on a small pink vest.

"His note said so..." Ren replied.

"Good. I know he's meticulous, but you would think he believes he can take care of every problem under the sun," Shinji said, sitting down next to Miho with a bump from his behind to get her to move over a bit on the lounge.

They were Team 19, a shinobi squad from the village of Konoha, and their Jounin commander/teacher was a man called Hamato Yoshi, the most anal Jounin in their village, or so they had heard in passing from Maito Gai, another of the Jounin teachers. They're mission had been received a week and a half-ago when a retainer from the Soba Clan had come to Konoha to request bodyguard's from a dignitary's passage through Fire Country territory. The Soba Clan was a powerful shipwright juggernaut with connections to the Wave and Ocean Countries, and had been supplying most of the larger ships some nations used on the water. They're fortunes had been going well, and they were about to be recipients of new contracts when for some reason, sabotage had begun running rampant in in their shipyards. Yoshi's team and another had been dispatched to work on the problem, with the other team in charge of ferreting out, and solving the problem of sabotage. Yoshi's team would be in charge of the dignitary's safe passage. While Yoshi and the other team was already there at the scene, Yoshi had decided to go ahead of his team, so that he could ensure the mission would go smoothly. He took the opportunity to send his students on a short vacation while they moved to their destination, a little reward for rapid fire missions they had completed recently. Shinji was worried, and confided in his teammates that he didn't believe their sensei knew the meaning of the words "good time."

"Give Yoshi-sensei a break..." Ren said. "He's kind of wound-up, yes... But this contract the Soba Dignitary is bringing with him could be steady work for Konoha, and good money... Or, that's what he says at least. Besides... Look at some of the other teams our academy class turned out... We could have ended up like them."

"Two of them are training with Sannin, and six of them are already Chuunin... Right... Our class sucks..." Miho said, looking none to amused.

"Not them," Shinji interjected, "He means Team 18... "

Miho's eyes grew wide, "Oh right... Them..." She shivered visibly.

"Exactly..." Ren said... "Hey..." Ren craned his neck a bit, looking around slowly, noticing for the first time that there seemed to be a rather thick fog rolling in from the port side of the ship. "What the hell?"

Miho and Shinji turned almost at the same time, noting the mist had already managed to make its way on deck, and was easily already the consistency of thick soup. The fact that the day had been sunny only three minutes earlier, and the best forecasts didn't give rain of any form of inclement weather until they were already safely moored at port was not lost on them either.

"A water jutsu, maybe?" Shinji asked.

"I'd bet a fiver on it," Miho said, getting to her feet, her sunglasses off and eyes already peeled.

"So much for a nice boring vacation, huh?" Shinji said, removing his own sunglasses, his fists closing and tightening to the point his knuckles were turning white.

"Just hold up," Miho said. "Let's make sure we're not getting ahead of ourselves... Last thing we wanna do is transform and freak out the civilians."

"So the fact that a wall of fog rolling in isn't already going to have them edgy?" Shinji asked.

"If they're just typical vacationers, they might just think its freak weather... As long as nothing out of the ordinary happens, we'll be fine..." Ren replied, his eyes following the black kunai as it sped past his field of vision, imbedding itself into the wooden deck of the boat a good quarter of the blade. "Dammit... Why don't I just shut up at times like this?" Three more followed it, one snapping a very taut line, bringing part of the sale down with it.

"Crap! Its an attack... Ok, no more of this then... **Henge!**" Miho yelled, being engulfed in a plume of vapor and emerging from it in her trademark white belly shirt, and tight, white pants. Her eyes were now covered by the same pair of sun glasses she had laid down a moment ago. She adjusted her forehead protector, then reached for the kunai holder at her thigh, withdrawing two of the small throwing blades and deflecting two of the oncoming missiles from their unseen attackers.

Shinji and Ren followed suit, both making seals with their hands, and narrowing their eyes, emerging from the vapor seconds later, dressed in their usual "work attire." Shinji wore a red, sleeveless robe and white undershirt, long pants in the same white color and red boots, his hair now adorned in a tight bandanna that his forehead protector adorned. Ren wore all black, short sleeves and tight black pants, his forehead protector resting on his waist.

Shinji was already moving deeper into the fog as Ren drew a short blade from behind his back, using it to deflect the sudden storm of kunai that now rained upon from seemingly all directions. His arms were moving quickly as they could, almost blurring before the eyes of the other passengers as they watched in a mix of fascination and horror. Ren could barely keep up with the rain of black metal death, and caught several cuts on his arm for his trouble, one even grazing his cheek. He cursed beneath his breath, seeking some shelter behind one of the smaller masts. He was barely able to see in front of his own face now, and the cries from the other passengers were growing in commotion.

Shinji was having his own trouble's as he made his way across the decking. Being the member of the team with the superior strength, he had taken it upon himself to begin grabbing passengers from the vulnerable positions topside, and trying to get them below deck. It had been an extra scenario or two that Yoshi-sensei had put them through as he began their training, making sure they were the least specialized team among the other shinobi squads turned out that year. His ideas were that through various situations the team would be able to perform without him when absolutely necessary, and remember their roles well, then, be able to work these situations together to form more complicated plans as their training wore on. It was one reason the three of them were still Genin despite being well trained, and near a base Chuunin level. Their sensei did not think them ready quite yet. Not that they minded. The jobs were good and steady, and the money was typically good for a team that could take on several levels of missions. Beyond their scores of D and C ranked missions, they had done several B-class missions, and assisted on one A-class mission.

Shinji was making good time, having cleared a good half to sixty percent of the passengers he remembered being on deck before the fog got too thick. He was almost to a little girl he could hear easily through the maelstrom of metal rain and impassioned cries when he felt a kunai stab into his arm, sending pain lancing up his nerve and into his brain like a train with no brakes. He concentrated, generating chakra and concentrated it on his feet and hands, using it to slow himself almost immediately, and get his bearings. He pulled the kunai from his arm, getting a good look at it, noting it was not anywhere near the typical kunai used by Konoha shinobi. Not that he had counted on this being one big mistake, as hoping it would just turn out to be one against what he knew was his terminal case of bad luck. He also noted the force of the stab, and the angle. Almost perfectly parallel to the decks angle. "Fuck," he said. "They're on board."

Miho had come to the same conclusion only seconds earlier, and was already her brain to use on a way to hopefully turn the situation around to their favor. She narrowed her eyes, and concentrated, feeling the familiar tingling of chakra within her chest. A moment later, she was moving quickly, her speed augmented by small bursts of chakra from her feet and moved towards the main sail. A moment later, she was using her best speed to run up the large shaft of wood as fast as her legs would carry her, making the crow's nest in moments. Hopping the safety rail, she came to a landing, finding herself above the fog. She quickly made a once around of the nest, cursing as she found no sign of the other ship she believed to be attacking them. She had to even the odds just a bid, so she knelt, and began generating chakra, she would need a lot for what she was about to do.

Ren began moving towards the single access door there was to the lower decks, seeking to be a vanguard against any attacks that could be directed against the civilians in an enclosed death trap like that place could become. He had managed to avoid a most of the kunai that were falling upon the ship, unfortunately, he was still cut up, and a little bloody from the sheer fact that from the amount being thrown, some had to hit something. Unfortunately for him, he was that something. He pushed on though, ignoring his pain and moving as fast as he could towards the large box the access way created on the deck. By now they must be on board, he thought, knowing there was no way they would let the ship sit this long. He tripped over a body occasionally, another poor soul who had his life snuffed out because of Gatling approach to weapon use. To Ren's family, the use of weaponry was an art, that they only grudgingly used in the pursuit of combat, and to see someone using this method, it not only offended his moral side, but also his artistic side. He took up his position, hoping Miho had made it and was about to pursue the action he thought she was about to take. He drew a second blade, and made ready.

Shinji could almost feel the death around him as he heard people yelling and grunting in pain as they were hit by the kunai assault. He noted the waning number of death implements falling from the sky, probobly not wanting to hit their own, he thought to himself. The idea of one of the "gunners" saying "Ooops, my bad..." as whoever was attacking ran into one of their own doing his best pin cushion impression brought a momentary smile to hi face. He was snapped out of his reverie though as a single footstep echoed across the deck boarding. It was steady, and not hesitant at all, moving to the side ever so slightly as one of the last few kunai fell from the sky. He eased back against the rail of the ship, hearing it coming right towards him. He could barely see, but this punk was moving as though he could see through walls. If he was found, he'd be killed in a second. He thought back over the plan, and began thinking. He needed a diversion. He'd seen this technique done once before, and though he thought it was cool at the time, he never thought he'd be caught dead doing it. He made the seal combination quickly, whispering, "**Henge!**"

Miho could feel the chakra tingling at the edge of her skin, and felt it as it surpassed the amount she would need for this jutsu. Her fingers began moving rapidly, feeling the energy about her bend to her will and begin to co-mingle with the energies of the environment around her. As the energy began taking on a more and more complex form, she completed the combination, narrowing her eyes as she said, **"Futon! Dai Cyclone no Jutsu!**" Suddenly, the air about her began to swirl and move faster and faster as her will and her chakra drove it on, air pressure dropped, air heated and cooled, and energy began to build as near cyclonic force began to toss her hair and loose parts of her clothing like limp rags. Slowly, the mist began to rise from the deck as the miniature cyclone pulled air upwards and into the sky from the ship. This jutsu was one of the few higher level techniques she actually knew, its chakra requirements were tremendous and even then she could not generate as much power as Yoshi-sensei could the times he had shown it to her. Yoshi-sensei had uprooted a tree with the power he could create... She only hoped that water vapor was not beyond the extent of her abilities.

Ren watched as the mist began rising from the deck floor, smiling as he had counted on exactly the right thing Miho would do. He readied his blade, knowing whoever was attacking them would move with more vigor now that they were about to be uncovered. He hoped they might take it as just a pick up in wind speed, and write it off for a few more moments before they realized the mist was rising as opposed to drifting away. Unfortunately, Shinji was with them, and his luck made it impossible for them to get a break. One thing Team 19 was proud of was the victories they pulled off through hard work and sheer stubbornness. He caught the footsteps a split second before the figure bearing down on him with a blade was visible. The arm was raised, the gait was quick, and he obviously was not worried about stealth any more. Ren allowed the figure to draw closer, only a few more feet before he struck, plunging the short blade into the gut of his attacker, his eyes widening in surprise as...

Shinji's attacker was on him inside of a half-minute, kunai raised to strike until he saw the form he was about to strike. Before him did not lay a ninja, crouched in a defensive stance, ready to parry his kunai strike and stab with a second, but a naked girl, curled up invitingly before him. Wide-eyed, he hesitated for a moment before he was stabbed in the lower back by a kunai in the hand of the real Shinji.

He had seen some loud-mouthed blond haired ninja do a technique he called the "Orioke no Jutsu" once, and at the age of twelve with his hormones just beginning to kick into gear, he had thought it was rather cool. He never imaged using it at the age of fifteen to strike an enemy in the back. From what he heard, the boy had gone on to do a variation on the technique with the forbidden Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. That, however was not a technique in Shinji's repertoire. He transformed, then created a simple bunshin to take his place. It wasn't too terribly original, but it worked, and as an added bonus, Ren and Miho had not seen him do it. If he ever saw that kid again, he was going to buy him lunch.

Unfortunately, his reverie was short lived, as the human form before him began to seemingly melt, then completely fall apart in a vaguely human shaped mass of water before gravity once more took hold of the form again, leaving Shinji in a puddle. He was dumbfounded for a moment, but only a moment as a kunai was suddenly thrust into his own spine, just at the base of his neck. For a moment, there was nothing but pain until Shinji's nervous system fell into silence as the electric current carrying orders from his brain ceased. A second kunai lodged in his side, as a needle shot from somewhere else pierced his eye. Shinji Kido was dead before he hit the ground.

Ren and Miho both screamed, almost in unison as Shinji fell, Miho leaping from the crow's nest and getting ready to strike, despite her exhaustion from the powerful jutsu. She landed in moments, but failed to register as a speedy shape managed to grab her, slipping his arm around her waist and bringing the kunai to her throat as easily as anyone else would move to pick up a jar. Her blood was coating her neck in moment, and the shape left her there to die as her precious life began leaking onto the wood of the deck.

Ren was moving inside of a moment, both blades bared, and his eyes filled with crimson rage and tears. The shape that robbed Miho's life from her merely side-stepped, and spun in a swift kick to the small of his back. Ren felt something crack as he was flung over the sides of the craft, and hit the water, unable to move. Only having a single blade left, he swum for the side of the boat the moment he surfaced, jabbing the blade into the side of it, and letting it carry him along. He produced two more blades, using his arms to pull himself up the side of the craft, enough to get his head above water. Using his last two blades and a thin wire, he fashioned himself a small make shift harness, and slipped into it, feeling consciousness packing up for a long trip away from his body. Slipping into its dark embrace, he could feel the tears slipping down his cheeks, each one hotter than a drop of molten rock.

He woke up some time later, either days or hours later, he could not tell which. His body hurt all over, part from salt water hitting open wounds, part from dangling on the side of the ship for however long he was out, and part from his back injury. He moved his legs slowly, though found no relief as he confirmed he wasn't paralyzed at the very least. He began to climb again, in too much pain to generate chakra, and with his wire tied as it was, it was now useless to him. He made it to the top after a long, grueling, arduous climb, and made his way to the body of Miho, falling and cradling her in his lap. He would have done the same for Shinji, but knew he was about to lose consciousness again in a matter of moments. So, he simply sat there, crying and cursing, not knowing which to do more.

Their attackers were gone, and only later would he find out the awful truth of what had happened while he was out. He looked over towards the door to the lower decks. No one seemed to be coming out, despite the passing of danger. Every one on the deck was dead as well. "Might as well join them," he said, collapsing on the floor next to Miho. He didn't see it before he was claimed by the darkness, but only a centimeter or two from where he landed, burned into the deck was a single word... Revenge.


	4. Chapter 2

Uzumaki

Chapter 2

Stay on the path.

* * *

"Oh, yeah... This is gonna hurt," he thought, the punch connecting with the near exact center of his rib cage, enough force rolling unhindered through his body he could have sworn he had just felt his lungs turn into liquid. As he flew backwards, he could feel the wind rushing by his ears at what must have been hundreds of miles per hour by his calculation, and he wondered if he was just going to keep sailing on off into orbit as his momentum carried him onwards. He hated to admit it, but this opponent just might be a bit harder than he had actually anticipated. The realization had a slight distaste for Naruto Uzumaki, yet it was one he had tasted several times before. Haku... Kiba... Neji... Gaara... Tsunade on a bender... All tastes of the bitter wine he remembered well when his estimations of his own talents proved just a tad too liberal.

He realized he would need to right himself here in a moment. Do some advanced trick with his chakra to latch onto the ground and slow himself, or try to redirect his momentum off of something in an attempt to keep from hitting one of the very large, and very thick trees he had spotted from the corner of his eye before he had been assaulted by the unstoppable force that had been applied in his general direction. Sure, his reputation of having the hardest head in the village would only be reinforced and reinsured if he just took it like a man and slammed into the Sequoia-esque wood life around him, but one thing Naruto had grown tired of was winning when all looked darkest. A fart had saved him in a battle with an opponent whose sensitive nose turned out to be a double-edged sword, and he had yet to live that gastro-intestinal victory down. It was hardly something a future Hokage would want in an eventual biography.

He was moving way too fast to expect anything shy of a miracle to save him. While his chakra control had progressed by leaps and bounds in his two and a half years of training with his lusty sensei, the ground was still a centimeter or two beyond the sole of his boot. It was more chakra than he had learned to generate in this instance, and he would need a steady anchor if he was going to avoid the mind-numbing pain an impact with a giant toothpick would cause at this speed. "C'mon, Naruto!" he yelled at himself, "This is not the day to find out if ninja can fly!"

He should have known his day would end up like this, he realized, nothing had gone right since he had awakened this morning. An alarm clock oddly left unset from a rigorous day of training the day before had failed to raise him from the angelic sleep and borderline perverted dreams he resided in as his brain played in its nocturnal fantasy world. What had been an invitation from the Unlucky Princess to see what ramen tasted like on the oddly shaped plate of her chest, turned into a nightmare as suddenly Sakura had burst into his private dreamscape with eyes that just made Naruto's heart whither from fear. In his nightmares, what was usually among his definitions of beauty became a truly fearful creature possessed of dark-eyes, teeth, and a fist that could ground concrete with gentle touch. "You perverted son of a..." was usually how she would start, but Naruto rarely heard the last word as his dream self was already running with speed that would have made the Fourth Hokage wet himself in envy over.

Moments later, just as her large, powerful forehead was about to fall from orbit and crush him, he woke with a start, wide eyes, and a palpable sheen of sweat. He had never known what it was that created that image of Sakura in his mind, nor did he believe he wanted to. The death by forehead reference was easy enough. Ino's constant ragging of Sakura about her forehead had imprinted itself upon his secret joke list long ago. But the dark creature he was not sure of... It was as though he could feel its presence in Sakura's moments of deepest, darkest anger, but, he had never seen her that way. Ino had been inside Sakura's mind once with her Shintenshin no Jutsu. Whenever asked about what she had seen, Ino would suddenly go sheet-white, and stop speaking. "I don't wanna talk about it," usually killed the conversation right then. It was a look he had seen before. Looks on the faces of older shinobi who had survived the last great war called it "kunai shock." It was an experience none of them would ever forget, and apparently Ino had found her own experience within Sakura's mind.

He pushed the chilling image out of his mind, and tossed the blanket off his body, his eyes catching the face of the alarm clock and a time of half past nine. He wanted to rail against the obviously defective clock the shoddy manufacturers had put together, the diabolical device obviously choosing the perfect time to give out, leaving him to fend for himself two hours later than he was supposed to get up. He growled inwardly, ready to tear apart whomever was responsible for this freakishly un-working time-keeping device... He then reached over and pulled out the clean sock he had wedged in between the hammer and the pair of bells before falling like a meteor into the soft surface of his bed.

Pulling his sleeping cap from his head and setting it on the hook above his headboard, Naruto made a beeline for the bathroom and the shower he so desperately needed to throw off the chains he had yet to shake from the voluntary bondage of sleep. Letting his boxers fall to the floor, and letting the water run for a few minutes to gain its temperature, he had to admit to feeling better as only the vapor began to waft through the air about him. He slipped inside, pulling his shower curtain to, and began to work the soap in his hands, gathering the lather and beginning to work it over his stiff body. The combination of hot water, soap, and the grime leaving his body began to sink in and Naruto began feeling human once more. His blue eyes began to open wider, and the smile began to curl his lips...

Until, as though fate could see him truly enjoying something, the rug was once more pulled from beneath him. Unbidden and unhindered, the arctic cold waters flowed from his shower head and Naruto had no possible defense against them, hurriedly trying to climb the tile wall of his shower as each new cold drop hitting his body was like a chilled dagger. The blanket of his comfort was ripped away suddenly, and Naruto found himself suddenly wishing he were back in the Snow Country, where he swore the water was warmer.

His hands, topped by trained, honed fingers capable of turning small knives into deadly weapons and bending chakra to his will moved quickly to try and readjust the water's temperature in a flurry of movement on the knobs. Moments later, he grew resigned to his fate, and finished his shower, stepping out onto his cold floor, shivering as though stepping out into a deep freeze. He quickly found his towel, and dried off, slipping a robe about his body, and walking into his kitchen. His eyes fixed on his electric bill a moment later, and the reason for his discomfort was now obvious. He growled in spite of himself, and left the bill, complete with its picture of a string tied around a finger on the counter. He would eat breakfast out this morning.

Or, so he had thought, as he passed his usual eating place, the Ichiraku Ramen, his visage becoming downcast as he remembered Ayame's pregnancy had been just about due before he and Team Kakashi had left on the mission to Suna. The old man had told him that the closer they got to the due date the hours at the restaurant would shorten, and they would close up for a while so that the family could be together with the new baby for a while. His heart broke as he saw that the place had not opened yet. Maybe by lunch he consoled himself, then walked on, deciding on a place her knew with some decent onigiri. It wasn't Ramen, the gods' most perfect creation, but it was food, and if he had to deal with generalities this morning to appease his tyrannical stomach, he would.

Another slight pang entered his heart as he thought of Ayame, and the thought of her with child. She had been his first real crush in his life, long before he had ever met Sakura. Her kind face was a refreshing one whenever he had been assaulted by "those eyes" as he called them, and the fact she was serving him her father's famous ramen didn't hurt the school boy affection either. He recalled proudly the day he had asked her to marry him, all at the tender age of five... She let him down easy of course, saying she was much too old him, but that he would find a woman to serve him ramen one day. The blow to his heart was softened by an offering of pork noodles to his stomach, and Naruto quickly forgot his pain.

Still, the idea of Ayame having a child only reinforced how much had truly changed in his absence with the Old Pervert. Her father had told him how she had fallen in love with the son of a wealthy vegetable distributor a town or two over. They had been married only a year after Naruto had left. So much had been the same on his return, yet the changes crept out to kick him every now and again, either pleasantly or unpleasantly.

Naruto's luck with food wasn't getting any better as he strode through the market on his way to the training grounds. Every place was either out, or was just tossing out leftovers that made him want to gag. Truth be told, he had planned on awakening two hours prior to when he did, thinking, hoping his own biological clock would awaken him from the sound slumber he hoped awaited him. He would have then proceeded to pay his electrical bill, and then onto the training grounds with a full stomach.

The sock had been a simple reaction to one of Kakashi's new habits of sneaking into Naruto's dwelling and setting his clock for a very early time every so often to ensure the boy would be at a meeting place on time. After a late appearance or two, Kakashi ran Naruto a good five miles, then snuck into to Naruto's room, setting his clock for three hours later. It was a prank, they both knew it, not an object lesson as Kakashi tried to play it off. When Kakashi's mean streak took over, he had no trouble lording his rank over his students. It was something he would pay the one-eyed man back for later.

He had to admit though, Kakashi-sensei was probably right to do as he was doing. In two and half years of training, Naruto had taken on Jiraiya's lax attitude toward discipline.

No food, cold shower, and late. "Kakashi-sensei is gonna kill me..."

Naruto arrived at the training grounds a good hour late, and he could feel the murderous intent from his place just beyond the invisible boundary where the grounds began and the street ended. It traveled up his spine and over his skin in waves as though Shino's zoo of bugs had been released upon him to march over. It was one of the few times he actually wanted to take up the mantle of coward Sasuke had stuck him with and run home and climb back into the bed. But, a Hokage must take his lumps, he thought stepping into the training grounds, setting himself for the bitching he knew must be about to come.

He was greeted though, by a sight he didn't expect to see... The face of Sakura... in a good mood. It was not like the old days, where a simple uttered phrase from him could earn him her wrath, but he had fully expected her to be irritated as well, ready to kill in fact. One thing you learned quickly was that Sakura Haruno was not one to be kept waiting. Not if one expected to keep one's lung function at even near efficiency. He had been expecting the loudest voice of exasperation to come from her lips. She ran to meet him quickly, and he found himself bracing for the powerful slug that would be coming. Instead, she held out a small package to him. A simple, "Huh?" was all he managed.

"Eat it... Kakashi-sensei's pissed..." she said, as he quickly unfurled the small package to find a small, but meat packed onigiri for him. "I overslept too... He's been running us like dogs since we got home from Suna." Sakura spoke as she ate her own, a small grain of rice on her cheek indicated she had been eating one before he arrived as well. "I made a few, but this is my last... I kind of thought you'd stop somewhere first..."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan," he said between impassioned bites, his words all but flowing as he spoke with his mouth full. "I needed this..."

"Don't get me wrong... I'm still mad at you for being late... But the way we've been having to train lately has made me all sympathetic," she said, finishing off the last bite, and the seaweed wrap.

"Have you been in there, yet," Naruto asked, looking up at Sakura as the last of the rice ball disappeared from his hands.

"No... but with all the killing intent in the air, you don't need to be ANBU to tell he's not in a good mood."

"So its not just me, huh?" he half asked, straightening himself up and relishing the feeling of something in his stomach. "Why is it we happened to get the teacher whose scarier when he's not feeling well?"

"Beat's me," Sakura answered, "We should have expected it, though... Remember what he did last time he wore himself using his Sharingan powers. Its not enough he's exhausted, we have to be too..."

"Well... Remember. He always was big on teamwork... Must extend to team health as well..."

"That or he's just a sadistic bastard whose tendencies don't come out unless he's had the crap kicked out of him," Sakura said, adjusting her pack on her back and pulling Naruto by the arm towards the row of trees that surrounded Kakashi's favorite training grounds.

"I'd go with sadistic bastard..." Naruto said, falling into step with the pink-haired girl. There had been a time in both of their lives when Sakura would not have only not touched Naruto, but would have also worked to go out of her way to not touch him. Things had changed between them in the void left in their lives by Sasuke's defection, though what it was, Naruto had yet to be able to put his finger on. Either way, he liked it...

They approached the clearing at their best walking speed, but did so reluctantly. They hated showing up late to a training session, particularly when it was usually their sensei's role in life to do that to them. It was a matter of principle though. They were a team, the least they could do is be there on time, forget the fact he was their commanding officer.

The silver-haired man came into view slowly as the rise of the hill, his back to them as he was turned to regard the large green stone monument that sat off to the side of their training grounds. His hair was spiky, and had the dichotomous look of being unkempt but well-managed at the same time. From their angle of approach, his entire face with th exception of a sliver of cheek was visible, his forehead protector obscuring one eye, and his black face mask the rest of it. It was impossible to tell if he wasn't facing them out of disgust, or in his unusual deep reverence brought on by the name on the stone that he told them belonged to his best friend. They had thought to ask on occasion, which name it was, but Kakashi Hatake was an insanely private man when in regards to his feelings.

"So... What kept you?" he asked, not turning to regard them.

"Um," Sakura began, fumbling for words to try and find a way to say they were sorry, but at the same time justify their tardiness due to his training schedule.

"Um... See there was this old lady... And he cat got chased by... And, her groceries..." Naruto began, his fingers grasping at straws of Kakashi's own arguments that always came out when he was late, "... forget it..."

"Next time tell her to keep her dog on a leash and not carry as many sacks... She always does that to me... Damn dog," he said finally turning to regard them with his single, visible eye, the look on his face one of his usually detached amusement.

"Seriously though," Sakura began, "Its been a rough three weeks, sensei..." she said, hoping she was not out of line, "You've been keeping us on our toes so much, its been hard to even wake up."

"She's right," Naruto agreed. "You're being a damn slave driver," he said, just as the tip of Sakura's elbow jammed itself into his side.

He would go easy on the boy for the outburst he thought to himself. Naruto's a passionate idiot, he can't help it. "It is true I've been pushing to the two of you pretty hard since we got back from the Akatsuki mission. Its the last thing I want to do, but at the moment, there are only three of us, and I need you two in top shape in case we get a mission... I'm almost healed so, that will be happening soon, make no mistake."

They both looked down, and noticed the simple cane that their teacher/commander was using to brace himself so as to take some pressure off of his strained muscles. Three weeks ago, he had been sending them notes via ninja dog for tasks for them to complete. A week and a half later, he was propped up on a painful looking crutch. Now he seemed almost back to his normal self, the older man barely putting any pressure on the cane. Naruto wondered if he actually needed it, or if it was just an accessory to make him look cool. In their last mission, Kakashi had rolled out a new power for the Sharingan eye implanted in his head, and a powerful, unnamed jutsu that took the arm of one of their Akatsuki opponents. The result had left him roughly about as effective as a kitten, and with far less energy.

In the aftermath, Sakura had learned of a traitor in Orochimaru's organization from one of their vanquished foes, and they had half expected to be sent out after this mole to gain valuable information. The Fifth Hokage had denied them this mission though, saying it was Team Kakashi's job to get well, and be ready to go out again. She said she didn't want to break up a winning equation, which Sakura had assumed they would be absorbed into another team, or have a third placed with them under Kakashi's command. There had been no such type of order coming down from the position of the number-one ninja. Thus, three weeks had come and gone by, filled with training exercises, D-ranked missions, and severe boredom on the part of the blond-haired shinobi.

Things were beginning to look up, though, even if they were being pushed harder than usual. Kakashi was getting his strength back, the missions had increased to C-Rank, and Kakashi was promising some interesting training exercises for them. The only part that lent trepidation to Naruto's excitement was that for Kakashi interesting could mean anything from fun and entertaining to "Oh, I could die from doing this."

"As I was saying... Yes, I've been pushing you hard the last few weeks. Its not something I've enjoyed, so you can drop the sadistic bastard comments," he said, to the wide, denying eyed looks his pupils gave him. "It pains me I wasn't able to do these exercises with you, but my injuries prevented it. But, I want you both to believe me, that they were entirely necessary."

"Why?" Naruto asked, "We did most of this stuff before I left and Sakura became the old hag's apprentice."

"Because, Naruto... You two have been receiving personal training. You two are privileged beyond words to have received training from the legendary Sannin. You've both progressed farther than I could have expected in two and a half years. There is however, one thing they didn't teach you, and one area they failed you in."

"And what's that?" Sakura asked, somewhat incredulously. How could Tsunade-sama have possibly failed her?

"The Sannin have been alone far too long. I think you've forgotten how to work as a team, and now, we're going to rectify that..." Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Naruto said, "Where do you get that? We did great on our last mission! We took on guys who handed Gaara his ass!"

"He's right, Sensei... We did well.. Not the best, but we accomplished the mission." Sakura added, her voice losing some confidence as she thought back to Chiyo's sacrifice.

"You're right. We did."

Naruto shook his head, holding his hands out in an expression that seemed to yell, "Ok?" Sakura joined his look, not following.

"I don't doubt the level of training the both of you has had is above reproach. However, I've been planning this since Tsunade-sama told me Team Seven would be reforming." Kakashi slid a hand into one pocket as he walked down from the monument, walking towards them, leaning on his cane ever so gently. "The Sannin drifted apart after Orochimaru's betrayal... That won't happen to us... Any of us."

They caught the extra emphasis placed on the last few words. Naruto found himself hoping he and Kakashi meant the same thing.

"Now... Onto the reason I called you both out here today..."

"Yes! I've been waiting for this since you told us not to eat yesterday!"

"Naruto... Tell me you ate..." Kakashi said, looking back over his shoulder at the blond boy.

"Of course..." Naruto said, the onigiri he had received from Sakura being more comforting to his stomach than filling, "But usually when you say that, it means the training is extra sweet..."

"Yeah, Sensei... We figured out your tells a while back... 'Don't eat' usually means we're going to have the crap beat out of us, or there's going to be something we really need to learn," Sakura added. "You really need to work on some new ones..."

"Well, luckily, we're not playing poker..." Kakashi said, continuing walking towards their training area, "Anyway, as you've guessed, yes, today is a very special training exercise..." He stopped at the entrance to a rather dense forest, thick, almost choked with threes, vines, and little maneuvering area between them. "Now... You two will go on from here... Alone... Inside you'll be greeted by a mystery assailant. Your mission is to stop him, and bring him in for interrogation."

"One guy?" Naruto asked.

One guy," Kakashi replied.

"What's the catch?" Sakura asked, refusing to believe it was that simple.

"The rules are very simple. 1. You can't use any ninjutsu or genjutsu directly against your opponent. 2. You can't speak to each other. At all," Kakashi's expression was suspiciously absent of emotion, but Sakura studied him closely, using her medical training to try and guess what their teacher/commander was really thinking. She knew it was next to impossible. At his best, Kakashi never gave anything away, at least not that her still green senses could detect. Her master, Tsunade, the current Hokage, had been adamant she try to study the way people held themselves when at rest, and to apply her medical training to that. What kind of blush was created through embarrassment, or because you had caught on to their lie. Did the way they held their hips, and the position of their legs mean they were being outgoing, or defensive. Kakashi masked his "tells" far too well on that front, at least.

"What do you mean we can't talk to each other?" Naruto yelled, confirming their location to their "mystery" assailant if it had not already been broadcast. "How the hell are we supposed to coordinate between each other?"

"You're a team... Figure it out," Kakashi replied.

"This is gonna hurt. Isn't it?" Naruto asked, his expression refusing to rest as it shifted from overwhelmed to excited. He hated the circumstances of the exercise, but Naruto still managed arousal at the thought of a powerful opponent.

"He'll grow up one day... He'll grow up one day," Sakura kept repeating to herself within the confines of her thoughts, seeing Naruto's tells as plainly as if they were spelled out on flash cards he held up. "Ok... Let's do this Naruto... A few days in the hospital can't hurt us... It'll be like a vacation."

"Can I have your Jello?" he asked, catching the sarcasm in her voice, something she would never have thought him capable of two and a half years ago.

"Sure... Its usually Lime anyway... I hate lime..." She said, beginning to move forward, Naruto's joke bringing a smile to her face despite her reservations on this mission. She clutched her fists, gritted pearly white teeth beneath her lips and bent her knees, propelling herself into the trees before them, Naruto only a second and a half behind her, keeping a gap between them just large enough that he could scout their rear.

They bounded through the trees as only skilled ninja could, their feet only finding purchase on a branch or a patch of bark long enough for well-toned muscles to push them off once more into the air and forward. Their eyes were narrowed in quiet but hurried study of their surroundings, keeping them peeled for a broken branch, or a leaf that could be mere inches out of place. Their senses were honed, seeking out any iota for of killing intent, or a sound that might indicate the presence of their attacker, or his movement toward or away from them. One thing both of the Konoha shinobi could be proud of, were senses forged in battle and intense training, sharpened to a razor's edge by three of the finest ninja the Hidden Village had ever turned out.

Though concentrating on the matter at hand, Sakura's mind was racing trying to see if she could profile their enemy from what Kakashi had told them of the circumstances of their mission. "Assumption is a double-edged sword," read one of the plethora of rules she had to memorize out of her quest to become a strong shinobi. Assume too little of your enemy's might, and one runs the risk of being overwhelmed by the strength you don't believe he/she possesses. Assume too much, and you risk using an S-class jutsu to swat a fly. She had to admit to not seeing the downside of using a powerful technique to take out a problematic nuisance, but she knew that if it was not the full extent of the mission, it meant wasting precious energy that could be applied towards the end of an arduous mission. "Dammit," she thought, "things were simpler to figure out when we were just trying to grab bells out of Kakashi-sensei's pants."

She could not communicate it to Naruto, but she had come up with a few idea, and could only hope he was going through the same ideas in his head. Their opponent was obviously powerful, that much was clear from the fact that he was going up against the pair of them alone. Sakura could note the number of times on both hands she had been referred to as the "Hokage's apprentice" instead of a Konoha Chuunin level ninja. Not that she minded the notoriety, but she had hoped by now her reputation would stand on its own. Naruto carried the same reputation since it had become known he was the student of the Frog Hermit, though she noted the stigma around him always carried further due to his unnatural affliction. Either way, despite their technical ranks, it took someone of definite skill to take on the apprentices of two of the Sannin, and the students of Kakashi Hatake. In fact, anyone capable of taking on two Chuunin level ninja was powerful enough to give Sakura pause. Underestimating this opponent could prove fatal, especially if their teacher's usual Darwinist approach to training held true this time. She felt her heart catch in her throat. Could he have sent them up against one of the Jounin in the village? "Lord, please no..."

Naruto in the meantime had simply taken to the idea of a good fight where he could hopefully cut loose a bit, and not have to worry about dying. In the two and a half years since he began dedicated training under the Old Pervert, Naruto had been schooled in the frightening realities of true battle, even more so than he had been in his previous battles. Fear had not been a real issue for him in the years since he took on Gaara after the Chuunin Exam. Overcoming that real, almost tangible fear in his gut and his heart had left him far more confident than he could have ever maintained in the near-constant bravado he had maintained prior to that. But, he had learned in that time that the real battles he fought were truly perilous. Beyond the mere threat to his own self, he had learned to fear for his teammates in their battle against Haku. The mission to Suna had only reinforced the responsibility he had to his teammates, and his responsibility to his village, and his country. Battles where he did not have to worry had become something of a delicacy to the fight-hungry portion of his mind where his aggression danced in glee with every battle. The delight in the physical exertion, the use of the skills he had honed in battle, the sheer exhilaration of the battle fulfilled that darker side of him that just wanted to feel tough and macho.

He then focused on what Kakashi had told them before the mission. He felt his heart catch in his throat. Could he have sent them up against one of the Jounin in the village? "Oh, God, I hope so!"

The answer to their question was not long in coming as their senses fell on a vaguely human shape began falling through the trees right on top of them. The speed of its decent surprised them both as it descended upon them. Neither of them had a chance as a foot connected with them, one to Sakura's back, the other to Naruto's chest, sending them each flying in the opposite direction. Naruto managed to grab a branch as he sped through the limbs, Sakura finding purchase on the side of the tree, the air imperceptibly shimmering around her fingers as her chakra binding her hands to a tree.

"Nope... Not powerful at all," Sakura thought, her words dripping with sarcasm as she narrowed her eyes, the slight darkening around the edge of her vision allowing her to focus to find their enemy, who had seemingly gone to ground once more. She was lost for a moment in her search as she felt the brush of air over the fabric on her back, sensitive skin catching the vibrations as their enemy flew up behind her in what she had to imagine was going to be a striking maneuver. She barely registered Naruto's movement a half second later as his hand caught the fist of their assailant, the pain lancing up Naruto's arm and out his mouth as a grunt of pain. Sakura growled to herself, being impressed with the speed of their opponent, she had let her guard down for a half-second, apparently long enough for their attacker to get behind her.

She had only a second to act, and a kunai found itself in her hand at the speed of thought as she spun quickly, trying to make a quick strike at their opponent before Naruto's hand left his fist. The black blade caught the hem of a dark brown cloak, but only barely before the other ninja's feet had propelled him skyward once more into the light-choking canopy.

Naruto looked down at Sakura, appraising her situation before using his own powerful legs, reserves of chakra to propel himself into the air after their prey. Sakura was off after him in a second's notice, their feet launching them from branch to branch. Their opponent had lost his element of stealth, and they could hear his footfalls and launches on the branches. He or she had obviously been waiting on them. While they easily believed they would have to battle the "intruder," they had not anticipated having to use the "tag you're it" rules of the "Hunter and Prey" game. To Sakura's mind, the situation hardly made sense. If the "hostile" was a spy, he should be using his best stealth techniques, and obviously superior speed to make the best time back to his borders. Information gathering missions always placed the priority on avoiding combat. She then remembered Kakashi had said nothing of their prey's mission. "If I hear bell one, I'm gonna kill Kakashi."

Naruto's thoughts were on nothing but the mission. Kakashi pointed, Naruto was released... A twisted version of "sic'em, boy." Naruto figured Sakura would be trying to intuit more into the exercise, seeing if there was a hidden message from Kakashi, or a clue to beating the opponent. Naruto's thoughts were far less captivated on the whys, as he was the fact he was in a combat exercise. Captivated enough that the volley of kunai flying up at him from the forest floor almost made it past his area of awareness. Naruto cannon-balled, bringing his knees to his chest, and tucking his head between his knees, limiting access to vital areas on the body as the kunai tore past him, ripping his black and orange jacket, and leaving several gashes in his pants. As the volley ended, it was proceeded by another. Naruto spread his arms and legs, his hand grabbing a branch, and swinging his legs upward to redirect his momentum up. He flipped on the branch, and towards the tree, springing off of it as he made contact. He added velocity to his spring with a chakra assist, flying in a line right at his opponent whom he could now see clearly.

Sakura had seen the missile attack and had already moved to redirect downward toward their source, her mind working over the angles faster than most minds could add two and two. Watching Naruto, she angled her descent in another direction, watching her teammate dive at the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure was easily taller than they were by a good six inches or so, and his clothing beneath was pure black, and hid any identifying features. They could tell he was male now, easily by a glance or two at the way his clothing moved. His frame was rather lanky, though not emaciated, and the width of his chest was far too wide for a girl. Once more, they could guess at his age, his height placing him at not much older than they were, though the idea of a twenty year-old chuunin was still somewhat daunting to them both.

The cloaked figure darted left as Naruto was almost on him, Sakura using the fact that he was heading in her direction to launch her own small salvo of kunai in his direction. They were promptly deflected by the figure's own dagger, which moved swiftly in his capable hands. Naruto was following a half-moment after righting himself, managing to connect with a swift punch to the back of the figure's head. The figure stumbled forward, but bowed at the waist, planting his hand on the ground and bringing his heel up into Naruto's chin, and sending the blond-haired youth stumbling backwards. Sakura was moving forward in a blur of her own, a massive amount of chakra accumulated in her fist as she drove it into the ground before their attacker, the ground almost exploding beneath him as the pink haired girl released her chakra into the ground before making actual contact. The figure was caught off guard, but only for a moment as he flipped over, both hands planted this time and spinning on the ground fast enough to send the wind whipping by her face, his feet extended and striking the girl dead in the chest, sending her flying in Naruto's direction.

Sakura spread her feet, her arc carrying he downward quickly, her chakra slowing her as she gathered it in her feet, booted feet grinding to a stop. She was startled as Naruto's hand fell on her shoulder, grim determination showing on his face, and near orgasmic pleasure burning in his eyes. He was a bit perturbed, though, he had to admit to himself. He could have wound up the fight about three minutes ago. Ok, he admitted, that was stretching it to say the least of the situation. As a shinobi, his primary strength lay in his admittedly bizarre style of taijutsu, but his application of ninjutsu in those situations was coming up a close second. It was one of the many things he had been drilled on by the old pervert for years since they had left, and his timing had become impeccable in those years. He had not been in a strictly taijutsu fight in years, and it was frustrating not to have the full range of his skills available.

They looked at each other for a moment, the message traveling between them wordlessly that the time for solo-attacks had ended. It was time for a real team effort. Naruto backed slowly into a stance, his arms raised and his fists clenched, blue eyes narrowing darkly as he set his mind to what he was about to do. Naruto stepped forward first, leading out on his left, his right propelling him with a blast of chakra for a speed boost. He bore straight on for his enemy, kunai seeming to appear from nowhere into his hands, dark blades shimmering in the broken light of the forest. He flipped the blades downward, angling his body for a glancing strike. As he expected, their enemy threw his leg forward in a kick that almost threatened to take his head off, or would have, had Naruto not dropped to his knees, reaching up with his kunai to slice at a major muscle group on their opponent's leg. The enemy caught the movement, however, and used his other leg to propel him upward. Now, Naruto was seriously impressed, his opponent had managed a six foot jump on one leg. "Maybe I need to trade sensei's with him," Naruto thought to himself.

His opponent had made a single flaw, however, and had discounted Sakura, who met him in the air with a chakra powered fist to his gut, sending him flying backward.

"They've gotten good at this, Kakashi... You should feel proud..." a single voice said, standing a good forty feet away, and well hidden behind the thick husk of a massive branch that had fallen a decade or so ago. He spoke softly, making sure the wind wouldn't carry his voice towards the battlefield.

"Of course I do..." Kakashi replied, his chakra binding him to the side of a tree by his hands and feet. "I'd be prouder though if they would figure out the point of the exercise."

"You and that 'underneath the underneath' crap, Kakashi... I know shinobi have to be observant too, but I don't send my students into the equivalent of Ibiki's nightmares," the dark figure said, an odd smile crossing his lips.

Kakashi hated that smile, though he never let it show. There was always something about it that always seemed to overlay the madness he knew must lurk somewhere under those eyes. Most Jounin had some form of mental characteristic or problem that lurked somewhere in their minds. It was an unpleasant side effect of being a shinobi as long as he had. "They're not weird, Kakashi... They're interesting," Yondaime had told him once, a year or two before his ascension to the rank of Hokage. "When you're life is constantly on the line, you learn to live life a little harder than most. If one knows how fragile life is, you tend to get a little nuts in the way you live it. Just wait... You'll see..." It was a statement that at the time, had chilled him to the bone. "Perhaps... But this test's creator knew what he was doing when he created it. No one can question its effectiveness..."

"I beg to differ... After all... How many times did it take the great Kakashi to finally pass it?" the dark one jabbed.

"Three times..."

"What was that, I didn't hear you..."

"Three times... Now, quiet... I'm trying to study them..."

"Fine, fine... I guess once this is over, I'll have something new for my win column, eh, my eternal rival?" the dark figure poked, an almost blinding gleam erupting from his teeth as the light hit the perfect white enamel.

Kakashi looked up, "Did you say something?"

Naruto could have sworn he heard something like a growl as he dodged yet another flurry of kunai from their attacker, but he pushed it aside, thinking they had scared some animal far away with the plethora of the bladed weapons they had thrown. They had managed to get some more strikes in since they had begun working in unison. They would not alternate, instead picking times at random, and deciding who would attack. Sometimes, Sakura would go first, allow Naruto's strike to land at home, others would see her striking first. They had managed to work up a system, and now, their system had managed to shift the advantage in their favor, for now at least. It made Sakura's mind swim in a sea of thoughts... Her, Naruto... Sasuke... This kind of teamwork at use for all three of them. The Invincible Team 7... "Has a nice ring to it," she thought.

The cloaked figure jumped back, placing some space between them, landing with skill on a branch some ten feet before them. He pulled back his cloak, and reached down for his boots, he pulled a pair of black covers from the leather boots, and a pair of heavy weighted leg wraps.

Back at their hidden location, Kakashi and his companion looked on, his companion was gripping his shoulder, tightly. So tightly, Kakashi was gritting his teeth. "YES!" he whispered, though he wanted to shake the trees with the elation in his voice. "That's it! You can do it"

Naruto and Sakura both gulped at the same time, having seen this particular movement before. Three years ago, as a friend of theirs relieved himself of a similar burden, and the resulting increase in power and speed made a power difference between him and Gaara of the Desert disappear in seconds.

Sakura's heart caught in her throat, "Oh, no... Not..."

Naruto's smile grew wider, "OH YEAH!"

"ROCK LEE!"

What happened next was as much of a blur in the memory of the kids as Rock Lee was one physically. Sakura lay against a tree, holding her stomach, a bit of blood slipping from her lips. She was not hurt badly, and her training was already working to revitalize her and restore her mobility.

Naruto had not been as fortunate. "Oh, yeah... This is gonna hurt," he thought, the punch connecting with the near exact center of his rib cage, enough force rolling unhindered through his body he could have sworn he had just felt his lungs turn into liquid. As he flew backwards, he could the wind rushing by his ears at what must have been hundreds of miles per hour by his calculation, and he wondered if he was just going to keep sailing on off into orbit as his momentum carried him onwards. He hated to admit it, but this opponent just might be a bit harder than he had actually anticipated. The realization had a slight distaste for Naruto Uzumaki, yet it was one he had tasted several times before. Haku... Kiba... Neji... Gaara... Tsunade on a bender... All tastes of the bitter wine he remembered well when his estimations of his own talents proved just a tad too liberal.

He realized he would need to right himself here in a moment. Do some advanced trick with his chakra to latch onto the ground and slow himself, or try to redirect his momentum off of something in an attempt to keep from hitting one of the very large, and very thick trees he had spotted from the corner of his eye before he had been assaulted by the unstoppable force that had been applied in his general direction.

It all made sense now, as he thought back on it. Forcing her and Naruto to stay silent kept them from planning any elaborate strategy, kept them having to guess at each other's tactics, and on their toes. The constant guessing provided just enough distraction to keep them from focusing solely on their opponent, even though they had found a way around it and achieved a synchronicity most ninja could only dream of. The rule against ninjutsu and genjutsu made the playing field equal when Lee's skills and capability in those areas of combat were essentially non-existent. The only problem coming from that fact was that limiting Sakura and he to taijutsu, Lee's far superior skills left him with miles beyond any advantage they had working together. Naruto was not sure whether to get irritated, or enjoy it.

Still, he would talk to Kakashi about this later, though. "No ninjutsu used directly... Hey..." Blue eyes became impassioned once more as Naruto's mind locked onto that single sentence Kakashi had used. He cocked his trademark half-smile and brought his fingers up to his chest, his index and bird fingers extended, then crossed before him, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Naruto moved into position as his massive amounts of chakra began to clump together and take on vaguely human form, the energy weaving itself tighter and tighter, until more detail became apparent in the two large chakra clumps behind him. Suddenly, within a puff of vapor, two exact clones appeared behind Naruto, each hitting the ground with their feet to create enough drag to slow the blond boy down. In moments, and one seamless movement later, the shadow clones thrust Naruto forward towards their attacker.

Sakura's eyes were wide enough to collect wine in as Naruto screamed his technique name out across the air for anyone to hear. Sure, Kakashi's rule did not forbid them from talking, just not to each other. She had simply played it safe, not speaking beyond grunts and sighs, not wanting to do anything that could be construed as anything more than absolute, rudimentary verbal communication. But he knew they couldn't use ninjutsus in the exercise. She eased up slowly, a "screw it" look on her face obviously and unabashedly so. Naruto may have just cost them the exercise, but they would at least finish it. "Ah well," she said, not caring who heard, "One more thing to beat Naruto for later, I guess."

They were on their feet and attacking again in a moment, Sakura aiming a strong kick to Lee's face, Naruto, by way of shadow clone assistance, was rocketing towards his gut. The attack was dodged, but not before Sakura managed to grab Lee's cloak, pulling it off of him, leaving the tall boy spinning for a moment before coming back to earth. Lee released a kunai of his own at Sakura, which she caught with his cloak, spinning it in the air before her for a moment. Naruto landed beside her, and each took a side of the cloak, both running at him swiftly, trying to catch him in the cloak to try and blind him for a moment. Lee saw through the ploy in a moment, extending his left foot out barely straining his remarkable balance, catching the cloak on his then smiling as Naruto and Sakura let go the moment it had been snagged. His glinting smile faded though as the explosive tags Sakura had attached to the fabric ignited. The explosions were harmless, even to a genin, and really did little more than raise dust and smoke into the air.

Lee tossed the burning cloak away, trying to swipe at the dust and smoke to hopefully clear his views as he created wind currents to hurry them on his way. What greeted him instead of a beautiful, though gently scarred forest, was a wall of pure Naruto headed towards him as the blond boy's shadow clones advanced en masse. He wasted no time dispatching each clone with a powerful kick or punch, not holding back much because he assumed they were all clones. They were also punches Naruto could take, since it had been one of his favored strategies before he left, hiding among the clones, waiting to pounce with a powerful attack the clones themselves were not smart enough to do on their own.

Lee finally hit something solid, his fist connecting with what he assumed would be Naruto. It did not evaporate the moment it was hit like most clones did, the force of his punch destroying the complex chakra web necessary to maintain the clone's physical body. He was half right. He did not hit a simple creation of Naruto's will power and chakra, he felt a real reaction of a real human body being punched. The only difference was that there was the ever familiar pop of the energy field's cohesion being broken, and the chakra returning to the air as it lost its form. His eyes went wide as he saw Sakura flying back from his fist, obviously hurt, and unconscious. Lee couldn't tear his eyes away for the few seconds he was watching, a few seconds Naruto took advantage of.

Naruto had been following Sakura's lead since he saw her get up, thinking she would either figure out what he had, or that she would just think forget the rules as he used his shadow clone technique. He had not known what she planning with the cloak, but he had picked up the ball and run with it, knowing she wanted it given back to Lee. He had attacked Lee with a massive army of shadow clones, thinking she would strike from above with her enhanced strength. Instead, she had hidden among them, transformed into him, He would look into the significance of that later, though, watching Sakura fly back from Lee's strike, watching almost as he did, breathlessly trying to gage her condition. Then, something snapped Naruto out of his reverie. A simple, imperceptible thing cause him to redouble his efforts, and attack Lee once more. He thought about it quickly, wondering if this was a good idea, or suicide.

Naruto's were already in place, moving to get Lee into the maneuver while he was distracted. Several clones attacked, knocking Lee back into several more, which kicked him into the air. Naruto and a few others moved into attack position, the original ready to give the final attack, a swift kick in the gut a few feet in the air, then collision with the hard earth below him.

"U-zu-ma-ki" he yelled, before Lee jabbed his fist into his gut and sent the blond boy back to earth before him. He wanted to tell Naruto what a stupid move it was, using a technique Sasuke had copied off of him, which Naruto had in turn copied off of Sasuke. Lee smiled to himself, thinking victory in the bag, but failed to notice the shapely silhouette falling upon him from the canopy of the forest.

"Haruno Rendan!" Sakura screamed, completing Naruto's usual self-aggrandizing attack name, releasing as much power as she could at the moment Lee's ascent reached its apex. She released a staggering amount of chakra into her punch, knocking Lee in the opposite direction, slamming him into the dusty earth below.

Sakura could barely get her feet beneath her as she landed, falling to her knees instantly, panting heavily as she tried desperately to get her breath back. She looked over at Naruto, whose smiling visage she wanted to hug, or strangle. She had yet to make up her mind. She returned to her feet, reaching down to help Rock Lee to his feet, both members of Team Kakashi offering their shoulders.

Naruto, characteristically, ruined the moment a second later with, "Yo, Brows! You gotta teach me that jumping trick..."

Sakura chimed in, "Naruto! What did I tell you about calling Lee that?" Her tone was grim, and Naruto wondered how large his ensuing bruise would be.

"Um... Its ok... Sakura... He merely rides the last wave of his inner fire he was on," Lee said, offering up the best approximation he could do of his "Nice Guy Pose."

"Quiet you. Its the principle of the thing..."Sakura said, "How would Naruto feel if I called him toe-head all the time?"

"I don't know..." Naruto replied, "What's it mean?"

They walked on slowly, Lee eventually being able to walk back on his own, though not understanding why the two walked on ahead of him when he started to make the trip walking on his hands. He righted himself and caught up, "Um, Sakura?" he began, the usual stutter showing up in his voice as he spoke to Sakura.

"Yes, Lee?" she asked, looking over at him curiously.

"I was wondering... Since... Well..." This was uncharacteristic of him, she thought. Usually, he was forthcoming and brimming with confidence when he spoke to her. She never forgot how forward he was the day he asked her to be his girlfriend the day of their first Chuunin exam.

"What is it, Lee" she gently plodded, her next two steps carrying her in his direction, eyebrows lifting in slight amusement, green eyes dancing. She was flirting yes... Something she never would have done long ago. Things were different now, though. Something had changed within her the last few weeks... She had flirted with Lee, Kiba... Even Naruto since his return... Actions she never would have taken before.

"Since the...um... Springtime of youth is so... um... fleeting..." he started again.

"He's asking you out," Naruto said abruptly, butting into the conversation as though he had been in it the whole time.

Lee blushed several shades of red, and perhaps crimson as he looked back at Sakura, whose eyes were narrowed in Naruto's direction.

"What? He is..." Moments later Naruto could be heard yelping, and holding his ribs for a few minutes more as they walked.

"As forward as Naruto is, he is right... Might you... like to have... lunch some time?" Lee asked, secretly thanking Naruto for breaking the last of the tension.

Sakura turned her head away, and smile faded instantly, as though the warmth she had shown only moments earlier had been turned off by a sweaty senior in a nursing home. "Um... Well... You see, Lee..."

"Its alright, Sakura," he said, his speed slightly increasing, moving out of step with them, "I really should have picked a better time to ask. I really should go now... Gai-sensei will be wanting to earn back the money he lost today... He had a rather large bet with Tsunade-sama. Sakura, Naruto... I shall see you later."

"Lee?" Sakura said, looking confused, but knowing it was how cold she had turned that shut him off like that, even though the idea sounded lovely. She could tell Naruto was about to ask what was wrong, but luckily for her, Kakashi stood waiting at the end of the trail. She took off running to meet him, Naruto quickly following behind.

"Well?" Kakashi began, "What do you have to say for yourselves?" They tried to read his face, but could not, finding the withering gaze as impenetrable as his dark mask to the light. neither would speak for long moments, prompting the Sharingan bearer to speak again, "I'm waiting."

Sakura was about to speak up, but Naruto beat her to it, "If you're going to punish someone, punish me. My shadow clones attacked Lee, all Sakura did was transform. Besides..."

Kakashi's eyebrow perked.

"You meant for us to break the rules anyway... The one anyway..."

Sakura looked at Naruto incredulously. Of all Naruto's leaps in logic, this one left her speechless. "How do you get that?" she asked him.

"Think about it... He said we couldn't use any Jutsu's directly against our enemy..." Naruto said, a slightly smug smile coming over his face, realizing Sakura had not gotten it quite yet. "I think he figured we wouldn't notice something like that if we're constantly trying to figure out what the trick is."

"So, basically it was a feint?" Sakura asked, "Hide the point in plain sight while we looked around for some deep meaning to it?"

"Pretty much..." Kakashi said, "Though Naruto is only half right..." Kakashi turned, walking towards the village now, still leaning on his cane for support.

"What did I miss?" Naruto asked, he and Sakura falling into step behind him, one on either side.

"You didn't really miss anything, to tell the truth... You cheated just like you were supposed to..." Kakashi did not bother to look back at them to see their reactions, guessing they were much like his and Rin's the last time they took the test and passed it.

"Again... Not seeing it," Sakura said, grabbing her teacher's wrist gently in a pleading motion to get him to elaborate.

Kakashi sighed, "Alright... I'll hold your hand for this one... The object of this exercise is to place a team in a situation that is at its heart impossible for them to win."

"Why?" Sakura asked, "I mean I get training, but why go through all the trouble?"

"She's got a point... You could have just sicked Team Gai on us... It would have been harder, but I would have had Neji screaming 'uncle' in a few more minutes." The two looked at Naruto to find a look that indicated he was not even taking himself seriously.

"Back to the plot... The exercise is designed to force the examinees to cheat. It doesn't teach you that cheating is ok... Its the first step in knowing 'when' to break the rules."

"Oh, I see," Sakura said, nodding. "But, when would we have to know that?"

"Not all genin teams stay together, Sakura... For most, they're split once one or two members reach Chuunin, or one reaches Jounin..." Kakashi said, stopping to wave to an up-and-coming Chuunin he knew. "Its a skill shinobi have to develop. If you go against your commander's orders when he's right, its insubordination. If you robotically obey when he's wrong, its incompetence."

"Ok, now you're losing me..." Naruto said, scratching his head.

"Ok, then... Think about this... What were your guts telling you when I told you to deny Naruto food during our first bell test?" Kakashi asked, looking back over his shoulder.

"Feed me," Naruto said, followed by a quick smack from Sakura to his arm.

"He's right in a way... You kept selling us on teamwork, Sasuke and a I knew we would need Naruto at his best... Which isn't hungry..." Sakura said, her attention turning back to their teacher.

"Yet, you knew the costs you might incur, and knew that you might be forced to give up your objective..."

"Uh huh... Right..." Naruto said quietly. "What's your point?"

"I'm saying you may be called on to make decisions like that one day, Naruto," Kakashi said, wishing, for once, that the grand idiot's head would soften, "Things like illegal orders are easy... There's little in the way of reprisal for doing something you're supposed to... But, there may come a time when you have to go against the orders of a superior."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "How will we know?"

Kakashi actually laughed, "I wish I could tell you. Its an instinct you'll develop as you gain in the ranks of the shinobi here... But, I have the faith in the two of you that you'll know when its appropriate."

"So what now?" Naruto asked, realizing they stood before Kakashi's home.

"Now," Kakashi said, "I want the two of you to take the day off tomorrow. I'm going to be in meetings all day... So enjoy yourselves for a while... You've earned it today." With that, he walked off, yawning beneath his mask.

"Ok... I've got a ramen stand to find... Some place has to be open... Wanna come along, Sakura?" Naruto asked, already beginning to turn to walk towards his home, already knowing she was going to decline.

"Not tonight..." She started... "But... Maybe tomorrow? Lunch?"

Naruto had stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide, skin almost white as a sheet. "Um... Did you just say..."

"How about tomorrow?" she asked again, a pink eyebrow cocked at his reaction.

"Um, sure... 12?"

"Great." She smiled, then turned slowly, walking back towards her home, leaving a bewildered Naruto in her wake.


	5. Chapter 3

Short update this time around, but wanted to put something up for all of you who have been patient readers. Expect a newer, far cleaner version of this chapter to be put up once betaing is done. Thank you all for reading.

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Uzumaki

Chapter 3

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If she could hide the sigh that always escaped her lips when she walked in the door, she never actually tried. It was an ongoing joke among the up and coming jounin that any visit to the office of the Hokage would always find him in the same spot when they walked in. He always stood behind his desk, facing the gargantuan window behind him, looking out over Konoha, a far away look in the aging man's eyes. Thoughts on the reasons for it circulated among the ninja, and were as varied as the jutsus under the old man's belt. Some said he wanted to give off the appearance of intimidation his predecessors had in spades, but for some reason, he never went far to scare his shinobi in line. He usually preferred a smile and a kind word, which seemed to work better for him. The other reasons were stranger as the Jounin's began to come up with them, slowly bordering on insanity.

She knew the real reason, her family had been intimate with them.

"Hmmmm?" he grumbled, less a request for her to repeat her statement as it was a surprise at her presence at his back.

"I said," Tsunade began, "Do you have to be doing that every time I walk in? It was bad enough when I was competing with that view for grand-pa's attention... Don't make me do it with my own sensei, now."

He turned slowly, his eyes still bright and vibrant despite middle-age and its pangs upon his body, heralding what most called a descent into old age. "You above anyone should know why I do this, child. How many men in your family have borne the name 'Hokage?'"

"So far, three..." she answered wistfully. She could feel her brother's bittersweet memory on her lips, though he had barely made it up into the ranks of Konoha's ninjas, in her mind, he would always be deserving of the title of Hokage.

"Its the beauty of Konoha... I can't help but be struck by its beauty each time I see it..." he said, smiling at her. "Its my hope that one day one of you will be standing behind this desk seeing it the way only a Hokage can."

"Please, Sarutobi-sensei... I know you don't want to show favoritism, but we both know you want Orochimaru to be your successor..." she said, burying Nawaki's memory once more in her gut.

"I thought your boyfriend Dan wanted to succeed me as Yondaime..." he said, taking a seat behind his desk.

"He does... But let's face it... When Jiraiya is is higher on the totem-pole than you are, you still have a way to go. And, taking stock of your other students, I prefer medical posts, and the name circulating among the women of the village for Jiraiya is 'walking hard-on.' Oro is a stack of books with legs, and can summon in his sleep. So far, he's at the top of the list," Tsunade said with a smile. "Godaime or Rokudaime, maybe..." Tsunade crossed her long legs, and sat across from her teacher, her blue-eyes and long hair catching the light as it streamed in through the window. As Sarutobi regarded her, seeing the beautiful woman Tsunade had become, he could see why Dan had been given the name, "that lucky son of a bitch."

"Yes, I admit I would love for Orochimaru to succeed me, its true... But..."

"But what?"

"Its nothing... Either way, I'm not dead yet... I've got a good ten or so years left in me before I need to worry about choosing the Fourth... But, speaking of senseis..."

"No."

"You didn't let me finish..."

"I'm not taking on genins... No..."

Sarutobi actually frowned, "Jiraiya said he would..."

"Jiraiya's an idiot..."

"Orochimaru has said he'll choose an apprentice," he began.

"Orochimaru is an idiot."

"I trained you from a fetus to be a fine shinobi, you're called one of the legendary three, and you're telling me you won't pass that on to some Genin?"

"Pretty much."

"I change my mind... I want you to become Hokage one day..." he said, uncharacteristic scorn in his voice.

"You are an evil old bastard... You really are." They laughed for several long minutes, Tsunade finding a few moments relief in it.

"I can honestly say I wouldn't want to be Yondaime," she said, "I'm not sure its a burden I could handle."

"I think you'd do well..."

Those words. It was always those words that Tsunade went back to when the pressures of being Godaime Hokage began to thicken and coalesce about her to the point of suffocation. It was times like this that her aide Shizune went from valued subordinate to the top of the Bingo Book, s-class rating. She had to admit to missing the life she led between the days after Dan's death and the day Naruto Uzumaki entered her life like a loud, annoying meteor from the heavens. The precious lack of responsibility, riding the wind and living from gambling IOU to IOU, ducking loan sharks, and fearing for her life when luck usually went her way. To her, sometimes, it seemed as though her manning the post of Hokage was the ultimate expression of her nickname, "the legendary sucker."

Then, there was now, and in leaning against the glass of her window, taking in the sight of the village of Konoha, letting it wash over and consume her, she found connection with the feelings she always felt so strongly in her teacher, her lover, brother, and grandfather. The post of Hokage was never un-challenging, never unwavering in its assault on one's senses. The constant barrage of politics, logistics, planning, and administration was enough to make a saint into a blood-thirsty cannibal. It was a labor of love though, and one she gave her all... when she was sober.

It was also comforting to remind herself that she also considered herself a temporary shepard of the position, knowing who waited in the wings to take on the position when she was ready to lay it aside. He was annoying enough to knock a buzzard off a gut wagon, but she knew what he had in his heart, and it was the one bet she would risk anything on. Knowing four Hokage's as well as she did, she felt easily qualified to say who would do well with the position, and who would not. He had growing to do, but then so did Yondaime, according to Jiraiya at the very least.

Her eyes fell gently on his picture, sitting assuredly there on the wall next to three of the men she admired more than any god that might exist on Earth. "Maybe I should have gotten to know you better," she said to the air, "Your advice might have been better than the old man's." She smiled, then turned back to her desk, taking a seat, and reading over Kakashi's report once more.

Her one great hold-out for Konoha's future had gone toe to toe with one of the men who sought to capture him, and take the demonic prize within his belly from him. In the battle, Naruto's body had begun to generate a field of intense chakra, that had taken on the form of his dark prisoner, and he became reckless and incoherent. Kakashi had been there, luckily, and with the help of a seal created by Jiraiya, had managed to seal away the boy's chakra. They had returned home with no problems, aside from Kakashi's powerful exhaustion, Naruto's irritation at being denied the follow-up mission, and Sakura's embarrassment over Naruto's tantrum.

The truly scary part happened next in a meeting she attended with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and a nameless Jounin. She began to blush as Jiraiya began removing his robe, then lifted the mesh shirt beneath, "I've come close to dying twice in my life... Once when Tsunade had her way with me,and the second, fighting Naruto..." The scar easily ran the length of the old master's chest, and for others gathered, was painful merely to look at.

Jiraiya went on to describe the formation of four-tails in the complex chakra creation, how the shroud of powerful energy appeared to protect Naruto, but in reality caused his body great harm. "He's covered in his own blood by the time its over... And, afterwards, his body heals as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened. If he keeps this up, he's going to end up shortening his life..."

"And that, is where we would need you..." Tsunade spoke to the nameless Jounin.

"I see a but coming up here..." Kakashi interjected from his place in his hospital bed.

"As do I," the usually nameless Jounin said. "We're all aware of the abilities I inherited from your grandfather, Hokage-sama..."

"Exactly," Kakashi added, "If you're going to send my team on the mission to the bridge, Yamato's the perfect choice to lead."

"My thoughts exactly..." Tsunade said, "Or, they were until I met with Sarutobi-sama's advisors about the mission. Guess who showed up..."

"Naruto... I figured he'd stay on you till you let him have the mission," Jiraiya guessed.

"You would be wrong, my friend," Tsunade replied. "Far worse than Naruto breaking into a classified meeting. Danzou was there."

The groan from Jiraiya was audible and powerful. Kakashi could almost feel it in his ribs. "We're talking 'the' Danzou, right? The one with the balls to try and go against the choice of two living Hokages for the right to replace them?"

"One and the same," Tsunade said. "Worse, the advisors were in his corner."

"Hell's frozen over... I would have thought we'd have heard from him when Sarutobi-sama died," Jiraiya said grimly, not wanting to experience the memory too vividly.

"I don't need to explain the implications here at all. Only that he wants to be the one to suggest the new member of your team, Kakashi. I've no doubts he'd have only been too happy to suggest a Jounin to command as well," Tsunade's hands were clenched in rage.

"Naruto isn't going to be happy," Kakashi chimed in.

"Tough for him," she replied pointedly, "He'll have to learn to subsume his own desires for the greater good of Konoha if he wants to be Hokage."

"So... What's the plan?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yamato, you'll be on your usual duties, but you'll be close by Konoha in case of an emergency. If Yondaime's seal is degrading, we may need you here to control Naruto. Kakashi, I want you getting well, so Shizune will be supervising your care."

"That's it? He's just got to get well..." Jiraiya asked.

"I have the hardest job of all, Jiraiya..." Kakashi said.

"True, controlling Naruto will be a hand-full."

"I'll have Sakura to help me... Besides... They'll be quite busy... Hokage-sama... I could use a nice line up of D-rank missions..."

"You'll have them," Tsunade said. "Jiraiya... You know you're role already."

"Akatsuki... I already have a line on them... I'll be gone about two months. I can also get you some recon on the Grass Village as well," he said.

"Do it," the Hokage replied.

"What about the mission," Yamato asked.

"I wasn't particularly looking forward to it anyway," Kakashi said, "It seems an awful lot of trouble to find someone whose probably a Sound Genin who's going to tell us that Orochimaru touched him inappropriately."

"Good point..." Tsunade agreed, "Still, I'm going to have a hard time convincing them to kill this mission. I can do it, though. Until then... I have research to do."

Jiraiya nearly choked on his tea, "You? Research? Voluntarily?"

"Yeah... Believe it or not. I'm going to dig up every bit of information we have on Naruto... If his health deteriorates too far, we may need to dig up some info on any family he might have... anywhere," Tsunade said, her chin cupped in her hand.

Jiraiya once more, choked on his tea. "Thats... ahem... A tall order, Tsunade..."

Tsunade considered this, "I know, but if Akatsuki manages to steal Kyuubi from him, or if Naruto manages to exceed its recuperative abilities... Any genetic match, no matter how remote could make it easier to save his life."

"I didn't require one for the implantation of my sharingan," Kakashi said.

"Which is a testament to Rin's ability as a surgeon, and your body's own adaptive abilities... Not everyone shares those.. Close genetic relation makes transplants far easier, and lessens the possibility of rejection," Tsunade answered.

"Still... It's a... tall order," was all Jiraiya could work up.

Tsunade had looked back upon Jiraiya's reaction several times, and had puzzled over it each time she thought back over it, his evasiveness strange each time the needle of her mind passed over the memory's groove. Her reverie was halted though, by a knock at her door. She thought about getting to her feet and facing the window, but all that came from it was a short chuckle.

The knock came again before she gave her assent to its entry. The door opened with a creak, and in stepped a young medic nin, barely nineteen years of age, black hair slicked back, and clad in his typical white coat and lab attire. He adjusted a pair of round-framed glasses, and sat down across from Tsunade as she motioned to the chair. "I hope I'm not interrupting..."

"Not at all, Hibiki. Between reading Kakashi's report, and waiting on Yoshi's, I could use some good news. Tell me what you've found," Tsunade said.

"Well, Hokage-sama..." he began, his hesitation irritating Tsunade instantly.

"Hibiki... You're the most talented researcher in the hospital, and we managed to save all the records from the Kyuubi's attack. I put you on this because I knew if anyone could sort through the mess that was in there, it would be you. I have had a very rough two days trying to convince people who want to do something very badly that they should not do something. Please, God, Please... Tell me you have good news..." Tsunade broke the pen in her hand as he shook his head.

He placed a file before her on Tsunade's desk, "The files for Uzumaki's birth year are spread all to hell... Some are kept in the basement of the hospital, others were in medical offices around Konohagakure... It was a mess... But I did manage to find this."

Tsunade opened it and examined the single sheet of paper, she mouthed the words on the page, "Ordered sealed by Sandaime Hokage..."

Hibiki nodded, "I also found the sign in sheets for the night of his birth. We do have that information, and from what you've told me, he's always known his birthday." He handed her a second file a moment later, "This, however, is golden compared to that."

Tsunade took the file but did not open it, "Golden? How?"

Hibiki cocked an eyebrow,"Well, I run across a file like this every now and then. The Hyuuga's personal physician maintains an office in the hospital, and has asked me to retrieve the files for Neji-sama and Hinata-sama before. Both were sealed by Sandaime as well. We maintain the empty folders pretty much for record-keeping purposes."

Tsunade opened the file and thumbed through it, "That's a courtesy extended to elite clans like the Hyuugas and the Uchihas... I've never heard of the Uzumakis..."

Nor have I... I didn't find a single mention of the name prior to that file in fact," Hibiki indicated the one in her hands.

Tsunade looked it over, "What is this?"

"Its an emergency report. They're filled out if someone shows up for emergency care, but isn't in the filing system..."

"Typical procedure," she finished for him, "Keep going."

"Well, that report reads out that a woman was admitted for emergency care on the night of Uzumaki's birth."

"What for?" she asked.

"Premature labor..."

"Brought about by Kyuubi's attack?"

"As near as I can tell. It fits. She was in so much pain,and she would only ever identify herself as 'Ms. Uzumaki.' From there, the hospital was attacked by Kyuubi, and the maternity ward was nearly destroyed. 'Ms. Uzumaki' was killed... From what I was able to dig up, she was cremated several days later. By order of Sandaime."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "This just gets weirder and weirder... I can understand sealing birth records for Naruto's... special circumstances. But why order her cremation without a living will... Strange... There's no way Naruto can know about this."

"The stranger thing is... How hard it was to find these records..."

"Hmmm?"

"Well... I kind of... Well..."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Hibiki..."

"You know I'm a big history buff, right?"

"Yes..." Tsunade said, her jaw set in irritation.

Hibiki was almost shaking in his chair at the grim look on the Hokage's face, "Well... See... I know some places... Spots where I know some sealed records are kept. They're ordered sealed..."

"Under order of Sandaime Hokage... I'm beginning to see your theme, Hibiki."

"I know where they are, and I figured since I had your mandate for this research, and considering who I'm researching, I used the opportunity to get in there and poke around."

"You pushed my orders to the breaking point, I got it. We'll worry about that later... Right now, get me whatever info you can on Uzumaki... This is farther than it would seem anyone has to go to keep the Kyuubi out of the spotlight, though.

"Not that I'm an expert, but you're right. These look like measures taken to keep people in Konoha from finding these records," he said, "I can get you just about anything else... His records past the night of his birth are in the right places..."

"I never said to look for them, though, Hibiki..." Tsunade said, a golden eyebrow cocked in near suspicion. "If it were anyone else, I'd think it strange, but I did make you head of the records department because of your obsessive compulsive streak."

"I do my best," he said with a smile that Tsunade considered a shit-eating grin. "I can tell you, though. Prior to his entrance into the academy, Uzumaki-san's visits to even small practitioners are rare."

"The only reason that would increase is due to the incident report regulations. As a Konoha shinobi he's required to report every injury he receives to the best of his ability."

"Will there be anything else, Hokage-sama?"

She could tell he had not slept, and had brought her these records after a long nights work. She was about to wave him off and tell him good night with highest orders to get a good night's sleep, but she was stopped as a pointed beak pecked against one of the smaller windows in her office. It was a window only that only hawks with important messages would come to. She stood, her mind leaving Hibiki for a moment as she opened the window to let the predatory bird perch on her arm. She reached for its talon, withdrawing the small note attached to its leg. She read over the coded writings slowly, her heart nearly stopping in her chest, and her eyes widening as shock over took her. She dropped the note, and turned to face Hibiki. She could not even eek out the words to tell him to move as she sped past him into the hall. He fist caught the door, nearly splintering the wood work. She cried down the hall, "I want ANBU here! Now!"


End file.
